Archives

Nutriments depletion in tropical soils is a limiting factor for agricultural productivity. This study aims are to identify appropriate cropping systems which could optimize maize grains yield and prevent from soil nutrients depletion. Field trials were conducted in Southern Togo ferralsol including Mucuna and pigeon pea cover crops in three cropping systems in randomize triplicate split plot design. Cropping systems tested consisted of continuous maize and atypical relay of maize-mucuna and maize-pigeon pea represented in main plot with different mineral fertilizer rates in sub-plot. Results showed that maize grains yield ranged from 3.00 to 6.83 Mg.ha-1 during the first season and from 3.02 to 5.85 Mg.ha-1 during the second season. Mucuna increased maize grain yield by 38-57% compared to continuous maize while pigeon pea increased yield by 30-49%. Nitrogen and P budget showed 93% N and 10% P losses in continuous maize system then 28% N and 11% P losses in maize–pigeon pea system while just 26% N and 7% P were lost in maize–mucuna system. Maize-mucuna atypical relay seem to be the best approach to produce high maize yield and to reduce soil nutrient depletion.
Keys words: Cover crops, Cropping system, Nutrients depletion, Maize yield